1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to devices for making soap bubbles.
2. Description of the Related Art
Children are fascinated with the production of soap bubbles. For this reason, numerous types of bubble toy machines have been developed. Perhaps the oldest and simplest is the wire or plastic frame which is dipped into bubble making liquid, such as liquid dish washing soap, and bubbles are then blown from the wire. In recent years, more elaborate toys have been developed using the same basic theory. These toys are designed for the user to blow on part of the apparatus to produce bubbles. The disadvantage with this technique is that the user must place their mouth on or about the apparatus. This is a problem, particularly when there are many users operating the apparatus, thus promoting the spread of germs among children. There have been toys developed over the years which do not necessitate the user operating the apparatus by blowing on it. However, most of these devices are complex and therefore expensive to produce. Most of these devices produce bubbles by blowing air through bubble solution.
Representative of the genre is U.S. Pat. No. 4,347,682. The patent is a bubble toy operated by manually blowing through an opening in the center of the toy. The air is blown through a cap on the end of the toy. This cap is emerged in the bubble solution, and as the air enters the cap, soap bubbles are formed.
Another bubble toy is represented by U.S. Pat. No. 4,044,496. This toy is activated by rotating a gear crank, which turns a propeller. This toy is not designed to submerge into water and bubble solution, but rather the solution is introduced into a resevoir within the toy itself.
Another bubble toy is represented by U.S. Pat. No. 3,708,909. This toy utilizes a disk with apertures. However, this toy is operated by pneumatic force rather than manual operation.
The prior art does not show a safe bubble producing toy that can be used successfully by a child in a bathtub or other clear or soapy water area, that is unique in the manner of bubble production, and that is capable of reusing the bubble solution. In addition, the prior art does not show a bubble producing toy that utilizes water, air and bubble solution as opposed to only air and bubble solution.